To separate it from the normal NPCs, this is a list of the 'top-flight' NPCs who will usually either be played as GM NPCs, or are otherwise head and shoulders above the rest. I'm using last game's list of heroes so if someone isn't on here, he should be on the NPC list, just wait for NPC to come round and do them him/her there.

Ideally format would be Name (birth) stats | Skills: | Items: | Ranks: Free Officer | Location: Not Found. Relations tacked onto the end like so: Location: Not Found | Father: Name (date). As for relationship importance: Father-Mother-Brother-Sister-Uncle-Aunt-Cousin-Grandchild, only one allowed. Adoption parents or oaths do not count unless done while they were a child or actual parents unknown while it doesn't work the other way so Cao Song for example won't have | Son: Cao Cao (???) on the end of his. This isn't vital, I'll fix things into format and add relationship, just would be helpful.

In regards Masters Skills, be very careful about giving them, they are for the elite of the elite. Is that person so deserving of that skill ahead of the others?

Thoughts...With regards to converting the skills over, I really think they should still get the skill, even if their current level in it seems too low. Mostly because PCs will be stronger skillwise this game, it looks like.

Well, my thoughts on the girls, at least. I was considering working on a full list of skill conversion, at the very least, but I went through a few, and taking skills out because they had low levels seemed to really shaft some NPCs (Chen Gong and Du Yong, being examples)...

On the plus side...Cao Cao's skill list wouldn't be as scary. Though it boggles me how he does not even have Leader (100)

Notes: I ALSO really want to give her Weaponmaster, for some reason...Just saying. I haven't figured out why Spy is there, but there must be a reason. For some reason, I have this urge to give all the Suns: Loyalty (e). War got raised slightly (of course, I'd want to bump it up to 77, but that's really pushing it), and Pol dropped (probly should be 50, tbh). Cha up, Lead down. =P

I have a thought, how about before we spend another year or even four months restatting NPCs, a large amount that are unlikely to ever be seen to begin with and slow down the development, we instead pull the stat/skill lines used from v3 and do a brief glance to replace some of the now Master skills (I still would like some information on how they will be handled by the way) and thus save ourselves loads of time?

Nevertheless for the moment I have to raise one question; what in the hell did Zhou Yu do to deserve that slap across the face eighteen times over? 44 Pol?! I mean honestly the guy might not have been politically savvy however I think he could out performer oh I dunno... a woman that did not even exist or a pirate that never looked a political book in his life. Before I do some digging on him I would really like to know why every one of his stats barring War and Charisma were shot, especially Pol which is frankly disgusting.

Edit: While I do not feel like making a large case for Xu Shu, I would also appreciate some information as to why he too was killed in Intelligence.

Edit II: ... I was just informed, Xu Zhu, XU ZHU has more political skills then Zhou Yu. Really did Zhou Yu make fun of Pretty Pei or something?

Black Mage's annual list of NPC stat grievances wrote:Cao Cao: The founder of Wei and a man who gathered half the heroes of the novel under one banner doesn't have a single 1000 skill? Not even something like Networking?

Zhuge Liang: 100 int and what, 12 1000 skills? That's insane. I get it, he was a demi-god in the book but this is seriously way too much. He needs toning down on the skills, but his 100 int is fine.

Jia Xu: Int should be 100, Tactician should be 1000. Not only was he never wrong in the book, he was never wrong historically either, unlike say Guo Jia, Zhuge Liang, Zhou Yu and countless others. Bottom line, when he was the advisor, your army won if you listened to him.

Ma Teng: No cavalry skills. Seriously? The man who created light cavalry, conquered the Qiang with them, and helped them transition their armies to the same type as his, which laid the foundation for the Mongols 900 years later gets no Light Cavalry 1000, much less a cavalry skill at all!?!?

On a lighter note, this is my first sim without a Pang De gripe. I feel so dirty and hallow.

Bourne, when have the NPC's held up development? I'll try to ensure that doesn't happen, besides it gives a chance to challenge what has been done before. As for Zhou Yu, what did he do politically to get a role? Some others may have been too high. Cha is 98 which is very high, he was a very nice chap and popular but how is 98 shot? War, he dies young and gets wounded, never duels or shows that much strength (off the top of my head), 60 seems decent.

Xu Shu, studies and wins one battle, not overly impressive. Should have better pol for his position in Wei ranks.

BM: Ma Teng, this was made before you pointed us to the cavalry thing. He will get cavalry skills when I do him this time round. Yes that Zhuge Liang is overpowered, way way too overpowered, had he been found I would have brought up the alternative ones. For Networking, 1000 went to Liu Bei but could easily go to Cao Cao

Dong Zhou wrote:BM: Ma Teng, this was made before you pointed us to the cavalry thing. He will get cavalry skills when I do him this time round. Yes that Zhuge Liang is overpowered, way way too overpowered, had he been found I would have brought up the alternative ones. For Networking, 1000 went to Liu Bei but could easily go to Cao Cao

Note I am only going to deal with stats and only target what I precise are absolutely necessary.

First of all I said besides War and Charisma, which are fine. It is the rest of his stats that are a problem, even Intelligence although not nearly as much. As for what he did, besides holding together the Kingdom of Wu after the death of Sun Ce along with Zhang Zhao when Sun Quan was too young and inexperienced to deal with affairs himself? Even if he was not politically savvy as I said, he is worse then Xu Chu who probably could not even read let alone knew what politics meant. As for Leadership while he did take a year to defeat Cao Ren this I would credit more to Cao Ren's immense skill as a defensive commander then Zhou Yu as a failure of one. He also has Chi Bi to his credit, something the novel magnifies astronomically.

Zhou Yu (175) 93-60-93-84-98 certainly seems more reasoable for his accomplishments, remember according to the novel he was an essential part of Sun Ce's success and SimRTK only takes the best examples from history. You could possibly argue his Pol into the 70s however I believe it deserves mid 80s and lead definitely should peek 90s, especially when you have a failure like Jiang Wei with 93 Lead; who I will get to later among others.

Xu Shu's strategy in the novel was the only reason Liu Bei survived until he obtained the services of Zhuge Liang. Once again in history Xu Shu may have been nothing special however in the novel he shines even if only momentarily. Xu Shu (175) 50-65-88-75-84

Sun Jian (155) 89-92-72-68-75 - Allow me to quote (read: paraphrase) XM from Koei "If he was smart he could have sent a loser like Cheng Pu instead of charging into the darkness himself" The fact Jian's own idiocy is what was the cause of his death should speak volumes for lowering his intelligence. I am unaware of much political skills he possessed so I will leave that as is, it was less Zhou Yu I'm sure. Sun Jian (155) 89-92-57-68-75

Lü Meng (178) 91-74-95-33-85 - ... what is this and utterly destroying Wu Grand Commander's political skills? Lu Xun, who has 96 Pol was not exactly widely known for political skills if I recall yet he has quite a shiny 90 to boast about. Granted Lu Meng I will admit was never one to grasp Politics to any definitive degree, he certainly was no schmuck at the concept. Lü Meng (178) 91-74-95-74-85

Guan Yu could also see a slight decrease of Int. He should not breach 60s even most of his career he was defeated save for the flood, which I would credit more towards the timing of the weather then his actual skill; that and Yu Jin's idiocy if I remember correctly played a role in that scenario. I also changed his war given that only Yan Liang was his true kill and even that I argue with given the circumstances of Yan/Guan at the time. Ji Ling was also able to match Yu for 30 rounds. Guan Yu (162) 76-94-66-36-87

I am not overtly familiar with Lu Su however was he not a far superior strategist then he is being credited for? I also recall him being a fairly able commander. Lu Su (172) 80-60-88-86-97

Zhang Fei (167) 94-99-83-57-44 - I know the video games do not give him much credit however I think we are overcompensating here; he was not that effective a leader and I would argue his Int breaking into the 80s; also what political skills did he even have? Zhang Fei (167) 89-99-78-37-44

Zhang He (167) 86-91-76-63-73 - He walked into an ambush he knew was coming. Need I say more? I will redeem him somewhat given his previous show of intelligence as a commander however, unlike Sun Jian. Zhang He (167) 86-91-66-63-73

Zhou Yu: Ok, I misread. About pol, Zhang Zhao was given internal affairs and Zhou Yu the matter of external, the army. While you may wish to push Zhou Yu's pol up, I would be surprised if Xu Chu was struggling to read. What was Chi Bi? It was int based, lots of ploys and while the army was well organised, Zhou Yu doesn't lead an attack until the fire has pretty much doomed Wei, after that it still took a year against an unreinforced army containing Niu Jin as support. Zhou Yu had the Wu elite on his side

Xu Shu deserves 80's int for one battle? One battle against someone who had made a error in his formation?

Sun Jian: A man who murdered two rivals, came up with a good battle plan against the Qiang, dealt with supply line problems and single handily smacked around the Imperial army deserves at least 60. Probably not 72 though

Lu Meng. 1) what civil posts did he hold compared to Lu Xun as Prime Minister and what attention did he pay to internal matters? 2) Lu Meng's attack on Jing was a political disaster, though a brilliant military camapign, that only a mixture of Quan's brilliance and Cao Pi's pride stopped from destroying Wu.

Guan Yu was Liu Bei's advisor till Zhuge Liang and handled himself fairly well there from what I remember, he wasn't brilliant but he was a capable stop gap. In the novel remember, Guan Yu does prepare for the flood, he utilises the advantage he spots when Yu Jin and Cao Ren fail to notice. Given Guan Yu has the second highest kill ratio of the novel, bonus for historically getting a kill, think he deserves at least 95 war.

Lu Su never won a battle I think? The problem I had with Lu Su is he was a political man, absolute genius at what he did but doesn't quite fit into the stat system. Give high int and he becomes a clever military guy, which he wasn't, give him pol and he becomes a civil officer, which he wasn't.

Zhang Fei was governor of Bai Xi.

Zhang He, does he deserve such a hit for one mistake where he was following orders too rigoursly? He had a fine career otherwise, arguably Yuan Shao would still have won Guan Du if he had listened to Zhang He, Wei would have not lost Hanzhong if Xiahou Yuan had listened after all.

I may be reading a different version of the book than the ones some of you maybe reading, but doesn't Guan Yu have a few kills to his name. The generals he slays for Cao Cao that was 3 if I remember and I'm sure atleast 2 more but can't for the life of me think of who. If I am wrong let me know which print of the book is generally read so I not so messed up.

Just as a real quick little note not directed at anyone in particular, if you do plan on suggesting a change to what we've posted, please be sure to include a brief explanation of why rather than just because you said so.

I'll start at the top of the food chain with the heroes and work my way down from there. Note that even though I may have items suggested in the descriptions, they are not factored into the base stats.

Initially I was a proponent of Cao Cao having the almighty 100 Lead stat, but after further thought and review of his marvelous career and abilities, I still could not justify him having that score. The disaster at Chi Bi had many factors in it's outcome, but the fault ultimately lies at Cao Cao's own feet. He was in command and despite the circumstance, continued forward suffering the greatest loss of the Three Kingdoms era.He also had several difficulties in campaigns against lesser heroes such as Lu Bu and the Yuan remnants, thus a 95 Lead base is reasonable given that he still did obtain victory on nearly all of his campaigns.

His War I increased due to the fact that he was very virile and healthy despite traveling the breadth of china and back, and he also did live to old age in spite of the fact that he may have had serious health conditions relating to his headaches. A 61 war reflects that.

His Intelligence was lowered because the more I looked into the issue of many of his clever plans, many more than I suspected actually stemmed from his advisers, not him. Even so, he was one of the great minds of the time and still deserves a 90+ Int. I decided on 91.

Politically he restructured the military rankings, and government of the Later Han, and was possessed of a savvy few could match. His 98 is justified.

I had considered raising his Cha but a 94 feels about right. He attracted many heroes of talent, but also inspired hatred from others. Nonetheless given the scope of what he accomplished, It is justified. He could be both gracious or cruel to his conquered adversaries, but more often than not rewarded the loyal and capable.

Skills:

Obviously lost a few of the skills which will no longer be used in V5.Removed Logistics because I don't recall any instances where he managed supplies exceptionally, and can in fact think of a few where he was in a serious bind when it came to supplies. Added Flood for his diverting of the Zhang River's waters to flood the city of Ye, which we somehow completely overlooked when statting him for V4. Removed some ploy based skills such as Rumor, because their uses should be credited to his adviser's rather than he (Jia Xu's plan comes to mind) and I just felt that him simply saying "Your thoughts match my own" when one of his adviser's came up with a brilliant idea, didn't warrant him necessarily having the skill.Added Commercialist for his readjustment of tax rates, and authority reforms in order to promote economic growth in the north during his Yuan remnants campaign.Gave him the master skill of governor to reflect his ability for people to come out of the woodwork to serve him, and his talent for reforming policies into a cohesive structure far more effective than previous ones.